McDonald’s Canada and Cossette have launched “Friends Wanted”, a 360° campaign that leverages the insight that youth are more likely to apply for jobs if it means working with friends. Interested friends are encouraged to apply together, get hired together and work together.

“One of the key benefits of working at a McDonald’s restaurant is the camaraderie among crew members,” says Antoinette Benoit, Chief Marketing Officer, McDonald’s Canada. “With this campaign, we are celebrating the spirit of friendship while continuing to build on and express our ongoing belief in Canadian youth.”

The campaign aims to differentiate McDonald’s in a crowded youth employment market, drive applications and boost McDonald’s reputation for being a fun, accessible place to work.

Following the March 27th Snapplications one-day virtual hiring activation, “Friends Wanted” is a continuing strategy for McDonald's to engage with young workers as a modern and progressive employer. The ‘Friends Wanted’ campaign is a recruitment first in that it includes an online application form that allows potential staff to apply with a friend. Additional assets that will be piloted as part of the program are an updated Owner-Operator hiring toolkit including digital and print ads, tray liners and crew stickers.

“It's a simple, but powerful shift that has the potential to not just double the number of potential applications, but makes the idea of working with friends real,” says Jordan Hamer, Associate Creative Director at Cossette. “McDonald’s has always been a big employer of youth and this strategy is a direct response to how today’s young workers want to engage with employers.”

Cossette is a fully integrated brand experience agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

About McDonald’s Canada

In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald's® restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. Together with our franchisees, we proudly employ nearly 100,000 people from coast-to-coast and approximately 90 percent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. Of the almost $1 billion we spend on food, beverages and packaging, more than 85 per cent is purchased from over 100 suppliers in Canada.

A web series showcasing Québec to the world

27.03.2019

We are thrilled to present a new series on Québec: Born to Let Go. Created to promote the destination in the French, U.S. and Ontario markets, the series follows two pairs of travellers as they discover the province. It was created by the Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec, the organization in charge of promoting the destination to markets outside Québec through the QuébecOriginal brand.

The Alliance created this web series with Cossette, Hearts & Science, Cult Nation and Post-Moderne. It was developed in collaboration with the tourism industry and Québec’s regions.

The premise: Letting go is innate

“Québec isn’t simply a destination. It’s an invitation to let go and get in touch with what really matters,” explained Martin Soucy, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance de l'industrie touristique du Québec. “We all feel the need to let go, but too often, we ignore it. When you visit Québec, it becomes instinctive, as this place has everything it takes to make it happen. In Québec, you can go off the beaten path and feel free to try new things.”

The concept: An immersive content series

We no longer travel just to check destinations off a list. We travel to have powerful, transformative experiences that create lasting memories and leave an indelible impression. And creating a strong emotional connection with potential travellers takes time.

“During last year’s campaign, we saw an increased appetite for longer content formats,” said Sébastien Viau, the Alliance’s VP, Sales and Marketing . “This year is a departure from classic formats with a series of eight episodes of three to five minutes in length. They follow two pairs of travellers as they explore Québec.”

The series can be viewed on the province’s YouTube channel (Tourisme Québec) and was designed to be watched more than once. The episodes are extremely detailed, providing information on places and experiences that are fun to discover in depth.

The campaign’s media placements are targeted to each market and present tailored content in the audience’s language to attract them to the Alliance’s ecosystem. Users are redirected to YouTube or to the destination’s website where they are encouraged to watch the entire web series. Contents are available with subtitles to allow users from many different countries to watch them.

Once they are in the Alliance’s ecosystem, users can access all complementary content to get inspired and learn more. For example, they can discover more about the experiences highlighted in the videos and find out how to add them to their itineraries.

“Showcasing Québec from an original angle, conveying its true flavour, sharing its culture in a way that goes beyond clichés, that all takes time. With longer content pieces, we can go into the experience in greater detail, explore emotions, and be less generic,” said Florence Girod, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Integrated Products at Cossette. “Our experience last year confirmed that when content is relevant and attractive, the audience takes the time to view it. And Québec is sufficiently inspiring to make an impression and sustain attention.”

The episodes on Montréal, Québec City and the Outaouais were developed in partnership with each region’s tourism office. The content and tone were adapted to reflect the positioning of each region while simultaneously conveying QuébecOriginal’s brand image and communications platform.

The travellers: Two influencer duos

Our tourism industry is filled with passionate people who work hard to make Québec shine. Spending time with them allows viewers to gain a new perspective, to learn more about a place and to immerse themselves. It also helps them let go and become open to something new.

To introduce them to the world, the Alliance teamed up with travellers from our priority target markets: Ontario, the U.S. and France. The travellers’ itineraries and experiences were chosen according to the target markets. The first four episodes share the experiences of Alex Vizéo and Steven Herteleer, friends and globetrotters from France who travel for fun and for work. The objective was to allow them to let go and take a break from their hectic lives.

The next four episodes follow the escapades of Paola Franqui and Sandra Rodriguez, a close mother-daughter duo who represent multigenerational travel. Paola quit her day job to follow her passion: photography. Her mother came along on her Québec adventure, which allowed the pair to connect deeply by leaving their daily routines behind.

Music: A song by a Québec artist and songwriter

Québec singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin and music producer CRi are behind the official song for the series, a cover of Fous n’importe où by Daniel Bélanger. It’s an ode to escape and a classic vacation soundtrack for thousands of Quebecers.

Next steps: The Mexican market

Four additional episodes aimed at the Mexican market are planned for fall 2019. Mexican actor and blogger Alan Estrada, who was part of the Alliance’s previous Québec promotional campaign, visited the province again, this time to discover its winter tourism offerings.

The Alliance is dedicated to making Québec a world-class tourism destination. It is an agent of Tourisme Québec in the marketing of the destination outside Québec. It speaks on behalf of 10,000 tourism businesses, which are represented by 40 regional and sectoral partner associations. A partner in the success of the industry it unites, coordinates and represents, the Alliance supports and participates in the development of Québec’s tourism offering and its marketing. The Alliance helps raise the destination’s profile in Canada and around the world and increase the economic benefits for Québec.

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, visit cossette.com.

Cossette expands its digital leadership

26.02.2019

Cossette has enhanced its digital services offering with the creation of three key positions. In addition to promoting Marian Borca to Vice‑President, Technologies, the agency recently welcomed two seasoned experts, Stéphane Alozy, Vice-President and Digital Business Lead, and Martin Talbot, Director, Business Intelligence and Data Science.

Building on its enviable position in the digital sector, Cossette is leveraging these appointments to deepen its expertise and its ability to develop innovative business intelligence and cutting‑edge technology solutions.

“Today’s brands operate in a complex digital universe, where data is used to transform their business models. Now more than ever, they must be sure their chosen strategy and technology will allow them to achieve their transformation goals. Stéphane, Martin and Marian will be important allies for our clients with respect to designing and deploying solutions that will allow them to take full advantage of the data intelligence,” noted Louis Duchesne, Executive Vice‑President and General Manager of Cossette.

For many years, Stéphane Alozy hasdistinguished himself through his vision and his ability to create new marketing products and services. As V.P. and Digital Business Lead, he’ll be tasked with driving Cossette’s growth through integrated clients for whom digital is central to their business model and who want to accelerate their transformation with the help of content ecosystems based on data, as well as artificial intelligence and data analysis products.

In addition to a Ph.D. in computer science, Martin Talbot has a wealth of experience in business intelligence, artificial intelligence and user research. Stints at well-known video game studios Square Enix, Warner Bros. Entertainment Group and Electronic Arts allowed him to hone his skills in research, statistical analysis and automated learning. Over the course of his career, Martin promoted the data culture, established reliable and intuitive performance indicators, and deployed advanced digital marketing technologies with real-time personalization. This expertise will allow him to support the agency’s clients in their transformation and identify actionable insights that will help guide them towards the best business decisions.

Having worked in the technology field for 20 years now, Marian Borca is an accomplished software architect and developer. A member of the Cossette team since 2007, his role is to create tailored solutions for the agency’s clients, particularly content management and e-commerce platforms, loyalty programs, mobile applications and state-of-the-art digital ecosystems. His new role will see him exercise even greater leadership over the Technology team with the aim of deploying technology development strategies that will allow Cossette’s clients to harness the full potential of data.

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

Kabam launches new branding with new AOR Cossette

04.02.2019

Vancouver, February 1, 2019 – Kabam, one of the world’s leading mobile game developers, has partnered with Cossette’s Vancouver team to breathe new life into their strategic positioning and develop a new brand and identity system.

Cossette’s strategy was informed by research looking into the gaming community. They learned that excitement is the lifeblood of games — it fires up gamers and makes powerful memories. These endorphin pumping moments in gaming are at the heart of the connected experience gamers seek.

‘Experience Kabam’ became the revised strategy and the new branding taps into the wide spectrum of feelings gamers experience during play — from frustration and rage, to joy and triumph. It also features a heat map-influenced colour spectrum to acknowledge both this emotional range, as well the touch aspect of mobile gaming.

Kabam’s reinvented brand includes a new logo, and full identity system (business cards, letterhead, social assets, etc), a brand video and a new website coming later this year. Cossette also worked with Kabam on their internal launch to orchestrate a cross-office reveal that included a presentation, branded swag and even custom 6-packs of emotion-based beers.

“Kabam has partnered with Cossette to redefine the way we present our brand to the world,” said Tim Fields, CEO of Kabam. The gaming company, which was recently acquired by Korean publishing giant Netmarble, has developed immersive mobile games with leading entertainment companies such as Disney, Hasbro and Universal based on some of the world’s most iconic franchises, including Marvel, Transformers and Fast & Furious and is one of Vancouver’s fastest growing tech players.

“We chose Cossette as they have the creative talent and strategic expertise to take our rebrand to market internationally, and develop launch campaigns that match Kabam’s innovation,” Fields continued. “Every touchpoint of Kabam's brand will have a complete overhaul. We have aggressive goals and our brand overhaul will be a key component in supporting our growth as a company.”

“We’re excited to help Kabam take their brand to market and spread the word about the immersive, socially connected games they build, such as Marvel Contest of Champions and Transformers: Forged to Fight. Our team is passionate about the gaming industry and we can’t wait to connect users to their games in a deeper way,” said Cossette’s Nadine Cole, SVP General Manager.

For Cossette, the selection by Kabam adds to the list of several additional wins in Vancouver over the past year, including Jetlines, Curling Canada, and Parq Casino.

About Kabam

Kabam is a world leader of developing entertaining, immersive, and highly social multiplayer games for mobile devices. They merge consumer behavior with the art of game design to create experiences that are enjoyed by millions of players across the globe. Each game has raised the benchmark in mobile gaming, bringing high-quality graphics, next-generation technology and revolutionary gameplay to the console in every player’s pocket.

Kabam has partnered with leading entertainment brands like Disney, Hasbro and Universal to create mobile games based on some of the world’s most iconic franchises.

Kabam’s games have generated hundreds of millions of downloads including Fast & Furious 6: The Game, Fast & Furious: Legacy, Marvel Contest of Champions and Transformers: Forged to Fight. These games have also received multiple awards such as Apple’s Editor’s Choice and Google Play’s Best Game of the Year.

Founded in 2006, Kabam has studios and offices in Vancouver, San Francisco and Austin, Texas. The company has doubled in size year over year since opening and currently has more than 350 employees. Kabam is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Netmarble Games.

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

Brand Video Credits

Client: Kabam Inc.

Agency: Cossette

Production House: The Sequence Group Music & Sound: Cypher Audio & The Sequence Group

Axel Dumont named new General Manager, Quebec and East, for Cossette Media

14.01.2019

Axel Dumont is joining Cossette Media as Senior Vice President and General Manager, Québec and East.

“We are utterly thrilled to welcome Axel to the Cossette Media family,” says Joseph Leon, President of Vision7 Media. “He is a highly respected and modern agency leader, who brings a unique blend of global and regional experience, and acclaimed client leadership with leading, international brands.”

Dumont moves to Cossette Media from GroupM, where as President, Québec, he led the group’s regional operations across their agency portfolio. He was previously at GroupM in Paris, where his global client portfolio included Chanel, Michelin and Danone.

“Cossette Media is unique in combining strategy, data and creativity within an integrated model. Our recent track record demonstrates that it is also a relevant and winning combination,” says Dumont. “I am delighted to add my experience to a great team and to help build, both regionally and nationally, the media partner of the future.”

“Following a year of historic growth, aggressive innovation and rising industry recognition, this significant appointment is an exciting reflection of Cossette Media’s vision, momentum and ambition,” adds Leon.

Dumont earned a degree in Marketing and Communication from the European Business School.

About Cossette MediaCossette Media is a Canadian media agency renowned for its transparent, integrated approach. With a solid team of media specialists in Québec City, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax, it offers a complete range of communications services including media planning and buys, analytics, IT architecture, direct response advertising, branded content, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, and mobile and social media.

Write for Rights.

11.01.2019

Amnesty’s writeathon is a global initiative. Every year around International Human Rights Day on December 10th, hundreds of thousands of people around the world send a letter or an e-mail on behalf of someone they’ve never met.

These messages help convince government officials to release people imprisoned for expressing their opinion (called “prisoners of conscience” by Amnesty), stop the use of torture, commute death sentences and end other human rights abuses.

The 2018 writeathon focused on 10 women who are imprisoned or persecuted because they defend human rights in their communities.

Writing for rights works. For more than 13 years, writeathons have changed lives and helped to free hundreds of prisoners of conscience. In 2017, more than 5.5 million cards were sent from over 208 countries and territories.

Mélanie Dunn named one of WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada

The list of Top 100 Winners, who span the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, was released today, paying tribute to the outstanding women across Canada who have advocated for diversity in the workforce, and who serve as an inspiration for the next generation of leaders.

“We are celebrating 100 of Canada’s highest achieving women in diverse fields,” said Sherri Stevens, CEO of WXN. “All 100 are role models for the generations who will follow – which is why it’s very important to recognize and celebrate their great achievements,” Stevens concluded.

“WXN’s mantra is to ‘celebrate differences’ and ‘lead inclusively’ – two ideals that have always guided me personally and professionally. As a WXN winner, I strongly believe that it is on our shoulders to create a world that truly values the idea that there are as many ways to be successful in business as there are leaders in business,” said Mélanie Dunn, Cossette Global President & CEO.

About the Women's Executive Network (WXN)Women’s Executive Network (WXN), a member-based organization, exists for the advancement, development and recognition of professional women in Canada. WXN delivers this advancement through training, events, mentoring, networking, and award and recognition programs for members and partners. At WXN, equity, inclusion and the advancement of professional women make industry stronger and society better. Their passion is 100% centered on empowering women and creating positive social change. WXN currently operates in Canada and Ireland.

About CossetteCossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

Habs’ Jonathan Drouin named 2018 McPlayer

20.11.2018

McDonald’s Canada is proud to announce the launch of the 2018 McPlayer promotion featuring Montreal Canadiens Jonathan Drouin as this year’s face of the campaign. Created by Cossette, the campaign focuses on one of the most shareable menu items: the Chicken McNuggets and the Spicy Buffalo sauce offered for a limited time only.

This 360° campaign includes 15 and 30-seconds TV spots, 15-seconds preroll and web videos, a 60-seconds film and behind the scenes video, social media ads, print and OOH executions, as well as a partnership with Bell Media.

“The funny thing with hockey players is that even though they are famous, without their gear and jersey, most people would never recognize them, says Patrick Michaud, Associate Creative Director at Cossette. All in all, people proved to be very generous. Some did not recognize Jonathan Drouin at all and still agreed to share their McNuggets with him.”

Credits

Client: McDonald’s Canada

Agency : Cossette

Strategy : Michel-Alex Lessard

Creative : Patrick Michaud, Ben Duquette, Alex Jutras

Product : Chloé Drolet, Valérie Lapointe, Samuel Potvin

Media Agency : OMD Canada

Production house : Morrison

Director : Jimmi Francoeur

Post-production : Morrison Film

Sound : Studios Apollo

Public Relations : Weber Shandwick

About CossetteCossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

Trick and treat with the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation

20.11.2018

The Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation just unveiled its new brand image, created by Cossette. The Foundation’s three pillars are at the essence of the new identity—Heal. Love. Bond. Three little words that mean a lot for sick children and their families. Three big words at the heart of the work being done at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. And three incredible results of the support given by donors.

Representing the figure of a child, the logo consists of a single band-aid to symbolize the Hospital’s core mission to heal children and ease their suffering, and a band-aid heart to represent the love that flows between our patients and our medical staff. Joined together, they form an icon that stands for the unbreakable bond between donors, patients and their families, and the Hospital.

Trick and treat

The Children’s was the first hospital in the province of Québec dedicated entirely to pediatric care. Beyond its medical mission, the Hospital understands the importance of letting kids be kids, despite the challenges of their illness. Inspired by this particular purpose, the Foundation called on some heavy hitters to bring Halloween to children who weren’t able to take part this year.

And so, on October 31, students from Montréal primary school École Saint-Barthélemy collected donations to organize a blowout Halloween party for kids at the Hospital. “When you see five to eight-year-olds willing to trade their princess or Harry Potter costume for a hospital gown to help other children, it makes us adults want to chip in too,” said Vicky Morin, creative director at Cossette.

Thanks to the generosity of the students and the people who donated to the cause, the children at the Hospital enjoyed a magical event that included shadow puppets, an oversized piñata and giant interactive costume, a message from Foundation spokesperson and hockey player PK Subban, and a wheelchair race.

For the Foundation, this brand refresh helps set the stage for a major fundraising campaign coming in the near future.

Special thanks to the students at École Saint-Barthélemy and the École De Montarville student choir.

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, visit cossette.com.

New BDC Web series showcases inspiring entrepreneur stories

20.11.2018

Series part of BDC’s new ad campaign focusing on successful business growth

As part of this year’s advertising campaign, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is launching today Beyond Business, a new Web series that showcases inspiring, relentless entrepreneurs and the challenges they overcome to successfully grow their companies.

The first three episodes of the Web series feature entrepreneurs across Canada as they wonder how they can take their business to the next level and face growth challenges while staying true to their values. The three-minute videos will be broadcast on social media and focus intimately on the people behind the business, making them highly relatable to entrepreneurs. The series aims to touch entrepreneurs by portraying unique, authentic experiences and demonstrating that successful business growth is inspiring.

“At BDC, we understand where entrepreneurs are coming from, whether they are starting or growing a business,” says Michel Bergeron, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Public Affairs at BDC. “This year’s focus is on inspiring entrepreneurs to partner with us in becoming more competitive. We want them to see how BDC can meaningfully contribute to their journey and accompany them in developing their business.”

“Understanding entrepreneurs goes beyond understanding their business. To really connect with them, the series portrays unique and authentic experiences from their peers, demonstrating that successful growth is inspiring, but it’s also hard work”, says Chris Bergeron, Vice-President, Content and Experience at Cossette, BDC’s agency of record which led the creation of the series.

Fair Trade Jewellery Co.

Kin’s Farm Market

Green Beaver

The Web series builds on the achievements of BDC’s annual advertising campaigns, which demonstrate the close connection between the Bank and entrepreneurs by showcasing its deep understanding of their reality. Entrepreneurs take centre stage in this year’s national multichannel advertising campaign, led by Cossette. The campaign launched earlier in September also includes TV spots, radio messages, out-of-home and airport ads, and digital media.

Walmart Canada announces Cossette as new advertising AOR

The award-winning agency takes the reins in time for the 2018 holiday campaign

Walmart Canada today announced that it has hired Cossette as its integrated agency of record. The announcement follows a recently concluded account review and extensive competitive process.

Cossette will deliver world-class creative and impactful communications strategies and assume full-range marketing responsibilities to promote Walmart’s omni-channel retail leadership and corporate responsibility as the company prepares to celebrate 25 years in Canada.

"With award-winning creativity, rich retail experience, and a deep understanding of our customers, Cossette will be a valuable partner in helping to modernize the Walmart brand while keeping true to our mission of saving Canadians money so they can live better," said Tammy Sadinsky, Vice President, Marketing Communications, Walmart Canada. "From being Canadians’ #1 choice for low prices to building strong communities, we are excited to work with the ‘best in class’ team at Cossette to build the next chapter of our Walmart story."

“Walmart is such an influential brand and we are excited to be partnering with the team to unlock its true potential in this market,” said Daniel Shearer, Executive Vice-President and General Manager at Cossette. “Our seamless integration will bring together the best talent to deliver the right balance between emotional brand-building and tactical communications that are so essential for retail success today.”

Holiday magic starts with believing.

Cossette’s first project for Walmart is its holiday campaign, which launches this month. The program taps into customers’ desire to create holiday magic for their families – and the knowledge that it can require a lot of work. Thanks to Walmart’s offerings, parents and family members can bring their hope for holiday magic to life without having to compromise to stay on a budget.

With Teddy, the program’s 60-second hero video, Walmart sets the tone for a truly magical holiday season as we follow the adventures of a lone teddy bear in a Walmart store, as it waits for its new forever home. The video is now available online and will be broadcasted on TV in the coming weeks.

Walmart’s holiday program also includes the return of its Toy Academy and beloved toy expert Olivia. For parents and family members, using this online content hub takes the guesswork and stress out of finding the “it” toys of the season. Because Walmart knows there is nothing quite like the magic of seeing a child open a gift they really like, toy experts track trends and reviews to help consumers find the perfect gift based on age, budget and interests.

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways. Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada for the past three years in a row. It has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, visit cossette.com.

About Walmart

Walmart Canada operates a growing chain of 411 stores nationwide serving more than 1.2 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, Walmart.ca is visited by more than 750,000 customers daily. With more than 85,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada's extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $300 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca, facebook.com/walmartcanada and at twitter.com/walmartcanada.

SickKids issues a powerful call-to-arms in its latest campaign

10.10.2018

SickKids and Cossette are calling on people in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond to rally behind the hospital in the new SickKids VS: Join Your Crew campaign which launches on October 1st.

Although SickKids has seen some major successes over the past few years, the fight is far from over. Last October, it kicked off the largest fundraising campaign in Canadian healthcare history - an ambitious effort to raise $1.3 billion in order to build a new SickKids - because twenty-first century medicine shouldn't be held back by a 1949 building.

“Our goal is to rally the GTA by creating crews, empowering people and bringing them together based on characteristics and passions that they share with others”, says Peter Ignazi, Global Chief Creative Officer at Cossette. “Whether you strut the catwalk or the sidewalk, whether you cycle on two wheels or even in training wheels, or whether you’re a first-miler or a marathoner, we are all a critical part of a SickKids Crew. It’s time to join in the mission to build a new hospital that will lift paediatric healthcare to new heights for future generations.”

Building on the intensity the VS platform has become known for, SickKids VS: Join Your Crew is a call-to-arms for the Cyclists, the Dog People, the Lefties, the Road Runners, the Cosplayers, the Boxers, the Fashionistas and all other crews to come together in support of the kids.

To further inspire Torontonians, a unique influencer strategy was developed working with Citizen Relations. High profile Toronto personalities and social media influencers, such as Canadian Olympic sprinter Andre DeGrasse, Toronto Raptor Fred VanVleet, Canadian actress Torri Webster and lifestyle influencer Allegra Shaw, were integrated into the creative, making them “Crew leaders” and allowing the compelling call-to-action to resonate on a deeper level with their follower base. Influencer relations will help sustain the conversation through to the holiday season.

The 2-minute spot, featuring actor Colm Feore and ET Canada host Cheryl Hickey, will air in cinema and online, in addition to 90 and 60-sec TV spot. The campaign also includes OOH in the Toronto area, digital and social media ads.

Credits

Client: SickKids Foundation

Agency: Cossette

Carlos Moreno, Global Chief Creative Officer

Peter Ignazi, Global Chief Creative Officer

Craig McIntosh, Creative Director

Jaimes Zentil, Creative Director

Spencer Dingle, Art Director

Jordan Hamer, Writer

Rosie Gentile, Senior Vice-President, Strategy

Denika Angelone, Strategy Director

Rami Dudin, Senior Strategist

Janis Lindenbergs, Senior Vice-President, Client Service Director

Tishan Canagasaby, Vice President, Client Leader

Melissa Levenberg, Group Account Director

Andrea O’Donnell, Group Account Director

Daniel Dolan, Account Director

Hillary Gonzalez, Account Executive

Rina McNicol, Account Executive

Dayna Blustein, Account Coordinator

Erica Metcalfe, Producer

Production: Scouts Honour

Media Agency: OMD

PR Agency (Influencer Relations): Citizen Relations

Erin Banting, Senior Account Manager

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016 and 2017. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

Iceland takes a seat at the table with new Liberté Skyr

10.10.2018

Liberté unveils its new Skyr yogourt in an integrated campaign created by Cossette. Skyr is Icelandic in origin and has a rich, creamy texture similar to Greek yogourt, but with less sugar and more protein (19 g of protein per portion in the plain variety) to cater to the needs of Canadians seeking healthier food options.

As Liberté is the first major yogourt brand in Canada to launch a skyr, the integrated campaign aimed to familiarize consumers with the product and what makes it unique, while also inviting people to try it for themselves.

In keeping with the multiple award-winning The Taste Liberté brand platform, the campaign highlights the attractive and delicious aspect of the product. The new yogourt was inspired by Iceland, which became the point of departure to build the product’s visual universe. The backdrop is thus sprinkled with captivating landscapes and punctuated with Icelandic terms.

The launch campaign includes TV spots, digital banners, takeovers, as well as pre-roll and social media ads. On the product website, Liberté’s taste obsession is at the forefront with Flavour Bombs featuring dishes created with plain skyr. They’re a feast for the senses—gustatory as well as visual—and appear on social media, especially Instagram Stories in order to speak to and inspire lovers of good food.

To add a unique touch to the range of Liberté products, Stand MTL created packaging that reflects the product’s simplicity and authenticity, while standing out from traditional industry tropes. The glacier blue background, the simple structure and original illustrations convey the beauty and natural aspect of Nordic design. The packaging platform is perfectly in line with the visual overhaul that Liberté began with the introduction of new organic yogourts in spring 2018.

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016 and 2017. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, visit cossette.com.

Brent Burns hits the right note in CCM Hockey spot

28.09.2018

To mark the launch of CCM Hockey’s new hockey stick, Cossette and Nova Film created video content featuring a musical performance by San Jose Sharks defenceman Brent Burns. With the help of a Super Tacks AS1 hockey stick, Burns interprets Johann Strauss’s Blue Danube, accompanied by the San Antonio Symphony.

NHL athletes are true artists when it comes to their sport. To demonstrate the shot power and accuracy that a high-level player like Brent Burns can achieve with a CCM Hockey stick, Cossette chose a setting and tone reminiscent of the classical arts scene.

Of note is that, due to Burns’s busy schedule, the spot was shot in less than 90 minutes—a tall order in terms of production that also demanded perfect precision from both agency and athlete.

As part of the brand’s integrated content strategy, the video has been appearing as pre-roll and on social media in Canada and the U.S. for a few weeks now. What’s more, it’s even been shared on the NHL’s Twitter feed. The video has also been airing on television networks throughout Québec since September 22nd.

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016 and 2017. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, visit cossette.com.

Québec City Tourism unveils its new brand

28.09.2018

Cossette is behind the new tourism brand for the Québec City region, working in close collaboration with Québec City Tourism (QCT) in its process.

Competition is fierce between destinations in the global tourism industry. To ensure Québec City maintains its power of attraction, the destination needed a distinctive and unifying brand, reflecting its heritage and what it is today.

“The Québec City region offers a full spectrum of touristic experiences. Creating its new tourism brand was both a thrilling project and a source of pride for our people, especially since Cossette was founded in Québec City in 1972 and still has its head office here,” said Louis Duchesne, Executive Vice-President and General Manager of Cossette.

Banking on the “Québec, l’accent d’Amérique” positioning, Cossette designed a visually arresting identity.

Taking the shape of turrets, mountains and a crown, the acute accent that tops the logo recalls the Château Frontenac, and the architecture, topography and heritage of Québec City and its surrounding area. It’s also a symbol of the French language and a nod to our lilting accent. The short, evocative word “cité” punctuates the logo, neatly differentiating the city from the province.

The brand was unveiled to partners in the tourism industry and will make its debut in QCT communication initiatives over the next few months.

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016 and 2017. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, visit cossette.com.

Renew your love of travel with VIA Rail’s new brand platform

18.09.2018

VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) is undergoing a remarkable transformation in its quest to become the smarter way to travel for more and more Canadians. The Crown corporation is introducing a new brand platform and tagline, Love the Way, which reinforces its role as the unifying Canadian leader of sustainable, enjoyable and safe mobility. VIA Rail was assisted and supported by Cossette in redefining its brand.

“As a rapidly modernizing Crown corporation, our values of innovation, trust and agility are even more important and represent the guiding force behind all our actions. This tagline is a reflection of what makes us unique and of what lies at the heart of our corporate culture. We are firmly focused on the future. Our ambition is to reimagine the Canadian journey by creating smarter ways to travel. With Love the Way, we hope that Canadians will indeed rediscover the joy of travel and thus contribute to a better future economically, socially and environmentally,” said Ann Bouthillier, VIA Rail’s Chief Communications Officer.

“VIA Rail is a major Canadian player in the transport industry and strongly believes that travel should be an easy, sustainable and enjoyable experience that meets the individual needs and preferences of today’s and tomorrow’s passengers,” she added. “Every action taken by our employees reflects the company’s commitment, resourcefulness and authenticity. We are acknowledged in the industry for providing customer service that is welcoming, professional, caring and focused on the needs of our clientele. Thanks to this experience, we are able to introduce Love the Way with confidence.”

Following a consultation exercise with its various target audiences, including employees, passengers and non-passengers, VIA Rail refined its brand DNA and identified the important factors that strongly contribute to the pleasure of travel. The process sought to build a creative platform based on the strengths of the Crown corporation, that would stand the test of time.

“When it comes to travel, the journey itself, with all the traffic, construction work, delays and lineups that people have to endure, is often more of an irritant than a pleasure. It’s a necessary evil for reaching a destination and a source of frustration and anxiety. The pleasure aspect got lost along the way,” explains Peter Ignazi, Cossette’s Global Chief Creative Officer. “And yet getting to one’s destination should be as important and enjoyable as the destination itself. This is the very essence of smart mobility and the cornerstone of the Love the Way platform. We want to inspire Canadians to renew their love of travel.”

The launch campaign will be rolled out on television (30-second spots), the Web (30-, 15- and 6-second spots and banners) and in displays, print media and movie theatres (60-second spots). Digital agency Tink was in charge of updating viarail.ca to reflect the new platform. Visitors to the site will benefit from a more tailored experience that includes new features and content.

Credits

Sponsor: VIA Rail Canada

Creative Agency: Cossette

Media Agency: Touché!

Digital Agency: Tink

Production House: Cinélande

Director: Didier Charette

Post-Production: Post430, SHED Inc.

Music: Cult Nation

Sound: LaMajeure

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It is a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways. Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016 and 2017. It currently has offices in Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, visit cossette.com.

About VIA Rail Canada

As Canada’s national rail passenger service, VIA Rail (viarail.ca) and all its employees are mandated to provide safe, efficient and economical passenger transportation service, in both official languages of our country. VIA Rail operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking over 400 communities across Canada, and about 180 more communities through intermodal partnerships, and safely transports nearly 4.4 million passengers annually. The Corporation has been awarded five Safety Awards and three Environment Awards by the Railway Association of Canada since 2007. Visit the “About VIA Rail” section at www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail.

Élections Québec and Cossette will do anything to get you to vote

18.09.2018

In anticipation of Québec’s upcoming provincial election, Élections Québec is launching two awareness campaigns created by Cossette aimed at increasing voter turnout—one is intended for the general public, while the other specifically targets voters aged 18 to 24. These multiplatform campaigns are an invitation to the province’s 6,160,000 voters to exercise their right to vote on October 1.

“Depending on their age group, voters vary greatly in terms of fields of interest and consumer habits. We had to adapt and find a way to reach the population as a whole. That’s why, for the first time ever, two campaigns from Élections Québec will occupy the media landscape over the next few weeks,” explained Marie Vaillancourt, Senior Vice-President at Cossette.

For 30 years, there’s been a decline in voter turnout, and this phenomenon seems to get worse over time as new generations of voters exercise their civic duty even less than their elders.

“The number one reason abstainers give for not voting is that they feel their single vote has no impact. We developed the campaign for the general public around this simple observation in order to prove the contrary,” added Marie Vaillancourt. The awareness campaign highlights how voting brings people together. Regardless of age, occupation, interests or passions, every vote counts. This campaign will roll out on TV, on the radio, in signage, in theatres, online and on social media.

Because we’ll do anything to get you to vote!

Just over half of all potential young voters exercised their civic duty in 2014—they had the lowest turnout of any age group. With the slogan “We’ll do anything to get you to vote,” the campaign aimed at 18- to 24-year-olds is a testament to Élections Québec’s commitment to spare no effort to reverse the trend and encourage young people to go to the polls in great numbers on October 1.

The campaign aimed at them is more unconventional and has a playful tone. Élections Québec is pulling out all the stops to entice them—be it by melting their hearts with cute kids or enlisting the help of well-known and well-liked influencers like “Occupation Double Bali” participant Alanis Desilets, comedian Yannick De Martino, snowboarder Sébastien Toutant or the duo from “Jokes de Papa.” The hashtag #votealamode was also launched, in partnership with fashion influencers.

Élections Québec’s campaign aimed at 18- to 24-year-olds also has the benefit of multiple points of contact to reach its target. For example, Snapchat users on school campuses can add a personalized filter to their photos to show they voted on site, and 75 coffee shops around colleges and universities will be giving out mug cozies with Élections Québec slogans. Spots on Spotify offer young voters 30 minutes of ad-free music to encourage them to vote. Signage at post-secondary schools will drive young people to elections.quebec/pretsatout via fake URLs. They’re employing various tactics and tips to reinforce the promise “We’ll do anything to get you to vote.”

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016 and 2017. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, visit cossette.com.

Cossette hurries harder to win Curling Canada

18.09.2018

After an extensive nationwide search, Curling Canada has selected Cossette to be its Agency of Record. The account will be led out of Vancouver, where the team will work with Curling Canada to build momentum for the sport and bring more people into the curling experience as spectators of Season of Champions events or participants at local curling centres – or both.

“Cossette seemed a perfect fit with us culturally,” noted Curling Canada’s CEO, Katherine Henderson. “They also provided a remarkably detailed in-person pitch, and offered insights and outside-the-box thinking that was intriguing, to say the least.”

The national governing body is responsible for the development, promotion, and organization of curling across the country — from grassroots all the way to Team Canada who represents us internationally.

One of Canada’s most beloved sporting traditions, curling centres are at the very heart of many communities and can be found in every province. The game is a hot commodity internationally during Winter Olympic years, but has a huge dedicated following across Canada, year in and year out. The goal will be to keep building that following, both in terms of ticket purchases and participation.

“We were looking for a great sports client to add to our roster,” stated Nadine Cole, SVP, General Manager of Cossette in Vancouver. “When Curling Canada came up for review, we knew we’d found the ideal partner. A true team effort, everyone in the agency pitched in to win this. We couldn’t be more excited.”

On an annual basis, Curling Canada sanctions and conducts 12 national curling championship events, as well as the Home HardwareCanada Cup of Curling, World Financial Group Continental Cup of Curling and one of the World Curling Championships (alternating men and women each year).

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016 and 2017. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, visit cossette.com.

McDonald’s wants to know what your Nuggetiquette is

23.08.2018

Canadians love McNuggets. I mean, really love McNuggets. They love eating them, talking about them and posting about them on social.

So, McDonald’s Canada and Cossette launched Nuggetiquette: defined as one’s own set of “rules” for eating McNuggets. This campaign celebrates all of the unique ways people eat their Chicken McNuggets. #Nuggetiquette shows us there is no right way to eat McNuggets, just your way.

“McDonald’s can’t post on social without hearing hundreds of comments about how our fans eat their Chicken McNuggets. From dipping in specific sauces, to dunking in ice cream, to topping a burger, everyone has their own rules,” shared Jordan Cohen, Associate Creative Director at Cossette. “We wanted to celebrate these personal codes with a new campaign that crowdsources real fan rituals and contrasts them with classic moments when etiquette really meant something,” he added.

The campaign was created based on Nuggetiquette shared via social channels by real fans who even voiced the ads themselves. McDonald’s wants McNugget fans to share their Nuggetiquette online and plans to transform select scenarios into custom creative executions for the next evolution of the campaign — inspired by the real life fans.

“McNuggets are a great example of good food that you can have fun with. They’ve been a guest favourite at McDonald’s since the product’s launch in the 1980s. With a wide range of ordering options in terms of quantity and accompanying dipping sauces, the number of ways to enjoy McNuggets is almost limitless,” said Chuck Coolen, McDonald’s Senior Marketing Manager, Eastern Canada.

At the end of the day, McNuggets remind us of the playfulness of youth. Our intention was to reflect that “feel good” emotion in the #Nuggetiquette campaign.

The campaign included TV, Social Content, and Radio. Watch the TV spots here.

About McDonald’s Canada

In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald's® restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. Together with our franchisees, we proudly employ nearly 100,000 people from coast-to-coast and approximately 90 per cent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. Of the almost $1 billion we spend on food, beverages and packaging, more than 85 per cent is purchased from over 100 suppliers in Canada.

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016 and 2017. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

COSSETTE PRODUCES SHORT FILM FOR FINANCIAL DISRUPTOR KOHO

06.08.2018

On Friday the 13th, KOHO debuted a 13 minute short film titled Dream Thieves – produced by Cossette and directed by internationally renowned auteur Fleur Fortuné and DOP Matias Boucard – to an exclusive audience at Toronto’s Fringe Fest. What makes this piece unique is that it disrupts the traditional advertising model by exploring the power of short film in storytelling and building brand awareness.

“We are at our best when working with brands who are willing to invest in creativity, to redefine their categories. KOHO is innovating in an emerging market which provided us with the opportunity to help build the brand in a way that is completely unexpected,” shared Carlos Moreno, Global Chief Creative Officer at Cossette. “The rules of advertising have changed. There are no more boundaries which enabled us to tap into a hunger for change that is being felt around the world.”

This brand film is about reclaiming one’s dreams, dreams that are being overshadowed by the stress of financial woes. It is meant to be a wake-up call and to empower people to take hold of their finances in a new way.

“A great piece can have a global reach with the right influencers behind it. It was a strategic decision to work with the right teams, to invest more in production to create something that would really resonate, than in promotion. We are challenging the status quo on every front with this work,” shared Jason Chaney, Chief Creative Officer at KOHO.

A two minute version of the short film will debut in theatres across Alliance Atlantis distribution channels starting August 1, 2018.

Agency: Cossette

Global Chief Creative Officer(s): Carlos Moreno, Peter Ignazi

Creative Director/CW: Craig McIntosh

Creative Director/AD: Jaimes Zentil

Agency Producer: Dena Thompson

Account Director: Tyler Harris

VP, Client Lead: Anabella Mandel

SVP, Director Client Services: Janis Lindenbergs

Production House: Division

Director: Fleur Fortuné

DOP: Matias Boucard

Executive Producer: Jules de Chateleux

Client – KOHO

CCO, KOHO: Jason Chaney

Content Strategist, KOHO: Julia Cooper

Media Agency: Cossette Media

Luke Southern - Media Director

Jeannie Lee - Media Planner

Local Production House : Family Production (Kiev)

Producer: Nikita Bukowski

Editing House: Mikros-MPC

Editor: Jean-Christophe Bouzy

VFX: Mikros-MPC

Lead Motion Graphics: Jean-Yves Parent

Colourist: Magali Léonard

Music House: Kouz

Music Performer: Matteo Locasciulli

Music Producer: Thomas Couzinier

Sound Design: Benoit Mouet

About KOHOKOHO is a financial technology company whose mission it is to help all Canadians restore financial balance. Offering a tech-forward experience with options similar to those of traditional bank accounts, but without the fees associated with traditional accounts. KOHO consists of a prepaid, reloadable Visa debit card and an intuitive app that tracks user spending and helps Canadians find ways to automate their savings – with no fees.

KOHO’s technology allows users to make purchases everywhere Visa cards are accepted and provides access to a suite of other products, such as direct deposit, ATMs, bill pay, free transfers and more. KOHO is headquartered in Toronto, ON.

About Cossette Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016 and 2017. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.